Friday Links: Impressionist and Modern Sales Underperform

As the Subway resumes normal service, MTA have taken to inspecting the numerous pieces of public art that adorn the underground network. No damage to be reported so far. Extraordinarily, Doug and Mike Starn’s mosaic murals at the heavily flooded South Ferry stop have remained fully intact; that’s public art that’s built to last. [Art in America]

And as winter draws in, the New Museum asks you to donate your old coats in return for free admission. [ARTINFO]

Wednesday night at Christie’s, the fall auction season hobbled off to a slow start, where takings for their Impressionist and Modern Art sale fell well short of projected estimates. Some are talking about a crack in the market; others are blaming the weather; and others still blame the quality of the art. [ARTINFO]

Yesterday, Sotheby’s didn’t do well either. We like this lede: “The Impressionist and Modern auction market continued to resist unrealistic estimates at Sotheby’s on Thursday evening, turning in a mixed result and a $163,008,001 tally.” [ARTINFO]

Now you can find out who’s been donating the over £40 million worth of art to UK galleries by wealthy collectors avoiding the inheritance tax. [BBC]

Rachel Whiteread swiped $38,000 during daylight from a London gallery. Art theft has never been so easy. [The Art Newspaper]

One of Argentina’s most renowned film directors Leonardo Favio has died at age 74. [BBC]